1985 vs 2005
The Cost of Living Comparison
Median Income
+96.1%
Median Home
+180.7%
Housing Labor
1.4x harder
📊 Full Item Comparison
| Item | 1985 Price | 2005 Price | Change | Hours 1985 | Hours 2005 | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 🥚 Eggs | $0.80 | $1.22 | +52% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Easier |
| 🍞 Bread | $0.55 | $1.04 | +88% | 0.0h | 0.0h | Easier |
| ⛽ Gas | $1.20 | $2.30 | +91% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Easier |
| 🥩 Ground Beef | $1.24 | $2.30 | +86% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Easier |
| 🐔 Chicken | $0.76 | $1.06 | +38% | 0.1h | 0.0h | Easier |
| 🥓 Bacon | $1.94 | $3.39 | +75% | 0.2h | 0.2h | Easier |
| ☕ Coffee | $2.58 | $3.26 | +26% | 0.2h | 0.1h | Easier |
| 🍊 Oranges | $2.30 | $3.74 | +63% | 0.2h | 0.2h | Easier |
| ⚡ Electricity | $0.08 | $0.10 | +23% | 0.0h | 0.0h | Easier |
| 🎓 College Tuition | $1,318 | $5,351 | +306% | 116.1h | 240.2h | Harder |
| 🚗 New Car | $11,450 | $25,164 | +120% | 1008.3h | 1129.7h | Harder |
| 🏠 Monthly Rent | $352 | $685 | +94% | 31.0h | 30.7h | Easier |
| 🏥 Doctor Visit | $34.50 | $68.19 | +98% | 3.0h | 3.1h | Harder |
📈 Got Harder to Earn
Items where labor hours increased from 1985 to 2005, sorted by magnitude.
116.1h → 240.2h
harder
1008.3h → 1129.7h
harder
3.0h → 3.1h
harder
📉 Got Easier to Earn
Items where labor hours decreased from 1985 to 2005, sorted by magnitude.
0.0h → 0.0h
easier
0.2h → 0.1h
easier
0.1h → 0.0h
easier
0.1h → 0.1h
easier
0.2h → 0.2h
easier
0.2h → 0.2h
easier
0.1h → 0.1h
easier
0.0h → 0.0h
easier
0.1h → 0.1h
easier
31.0h → 30.7h
easier
💵 Purchasing Power
If you earned the median income in 1985 ($23,620), you'd need $42,864 in 2005 to maintain the same lifestyle.
Based on CPI adjustment (107.6 → 195.3).